Attachment for beer dispensing apparatus



New. 12, 1935. v w. HANDLER 2,920,432

ATTACHMENT FOR BEER DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 22, 1954 Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED @STATES PATENT OFFICE "ATTACHIWENT FOR- BEER DISPENSING APPARATUS I 1 2 Claims.

This invention relates to attachments for beer dispensing apparatus, and in general aims to provide an improved attachment which, while generally similar to theattachment disclosed in UJSIPatent No.'644;1'7l, dated February 27, 1900, results in a superior operation especially with high pressure systems.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention- Fig. 1 is an elevation of the attachment shown connected with a beer barrel or keg;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the attachment shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the attachment shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of another part of the same attachment, shown on the same scale.

In the dispensing of beer from barrels under modern conditions, relatively high pressures are used, as compared with the practice of former days. These high pressures are usually maintained substantially uniform by automatic apparatus whose construction is well-known and. which it is unnecessary to describe. Nevertheless, the employment of high pressure tends to produce an excessive amount of foam and causes other difliculties when drawing the beer. The present invention provides an attachment, inter.- posed between the outlet of the beer barrel or keg and a pipe or hose line which leads to the faucet, to insure a smooth operation when working with high pressures and to insure the delivery of fresh beer without an excessive amount of foam, with practically no waste at the faucet.

85 Referring particularly to the drawing, there is shown a beer barrel or keg 5, the top of which is provided with the usual opening (not shown) into which a pipe fitting 6 is secured in any manner known in the art. A hose or pipe I is connected 40 to the pipe fitting I5 and also to the carbonating apparatus (not shown) to insure the maintenance of substantially constant pressure of carbon dioxide gas upon the beer in the keg or barrel 5. A shutoff cock 8 is secured to the fitting 6 and pro- 45 vides means for cutting off the barrel 5 from the delivery pipe or hose 9 whenever it is desired to effect repairs in the delivery apparatus or whenever the said hose or pipe is to be cleaned. Between the shut-off cock and the hose or pipe 9 the 50 improved attachment I0 is placed, said attachment preferably being secured by screw-threads II to the shut-off cock 8 and being screwed into the end of the hose 9 by means of the screwthreads I2.

I55 The improved attachment comprises a hollow substantially cylindrical body, as shown in Fig. 2, having integral ears or lugs I3 which facilitate the attachment and-disengagement of the member from-the stop-cock 8. Secured within the body III-at theupper end is a nipple I4 providing 5 a..shot holder and having an enlarged screwthreaded base I5, by means of which it is attached to the inside of the member II]. The nipple I4 has a length preferably greater than half the length of the member II] and is cylindrical for approximately half its length and then tapers to a point, as is clearly shown. The pointed end is provided with a plurality of slits I6, each of which is preferably no wider than the thickness of a dime, said slits I6 extending lon- 15 gitudinally of the nipple for the greater part of the length of the same, and they are preferably evenly spaced around the circumference of the nipple. A considerable number of lead shot or BB shot II are placed within the interior of the 20 nipple I4 so as substantially to fill the entire interior thereof. If desired, a small number of shot may be employed, especially if the pressure available is such that an objectionable resistance to the flow of the liquid is offered by the larger 25 number of shot. However, with commercial apparatus known to me, the described construction, with the nipple I4 entirely filled with shot, is preferred.

Within the nipple I4 is a smaller nipple I8 30 which is secured as by a screw-threaded shoulder I9 to the interior of the nipple I4. The nipple I8 has longitudinal slits 20 which are preferably of the same width as the slits I6 and which extend for substantially the entire length of said nipple. The nipple I8 is pointed so as to facilitate movement of the nipple I8 into the nipple I4 even when the latter is nearly full of shot [1. Obviously, if the nipple I8 is then screwed into the nipple I4, the shot displaced by the nipple I8 will move upwardly and will nearly fill the space surrounding thesides of the nipple I8. Both nipples may be screwed down by means of a spanner wrench, as notches (not shown) may be provided in the collars I5 and I9, respectively, to permit engagement of the spanner wrench with the respective nipples. Thus, the nipples may be easily assembled and may be removed for cleaning or replacement.

The device of the present invention acts as a sort of check valve, and insures delivery to the faucet of fresh, live beer which flows quietly even under the high pressure which is used. Thus drawing of a glass of beer is easy and there is practically no waste. In actual practice, it has been found that the present device works far better under high pressure than the attachment disclosed in the aforesaid United States patent, which issued to me. Actual experiment proves that the present device if adapted for modern high pressure systems, whereas the old device was more of a froth-dissipator, adapted only for low pressure work, such as was common toward the close of the nineteenth century.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it will be clear that the device may be used in the dispensing of liquids other than beer.

Having described an embodiment of the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: c

1. An attachment of the character described comprising, in combination, a tubular member having attaching means at opposite ends; a nipple which is detachably connected to the tubular member at one end of said tubular member, said nipple extending for more than half the length of the tubular member and being completely surrounded by the tubular member; a plurality of shot substantially filling the major part of the interior of the nipple; and a second pointed nipple screwed into the first nipple with its point innermost so that when screwed into place it displaces some of the shot; both nipples having 5 a plurality of slits.

2. An attachment of the character described comprising, in combination, a tubular member; a pointed nipple secured with its point innermost to one end of the tubular member and being of 10 such dimensions that a space is left all around it, i

within said tubular member; said nipple having a plurality of narrow slits extending longitudinally thereof; a second, smaller nipple secured within the first at the same end which is secured 15 to the tubular member, so that both nipples are removed when the larger nipple is disengaged from the tubular member; the second nipple also being pointed and provided with longitudinal slits; a plurality of shot in the larger nipple; the 20 pointed end of the smaller nipple effecting a displacement of some of said shot when the smaller nipple is secured within the larger.

WILLIAM HANDLER. 

